Iraq's Cabinet approves U.S. security pact

[Dos Equis]

Isn't this what Obama wanted?  A decision after the election? 

Iraq's Cabinet approves U.S. security pact

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact that would set the terms for U.S. troops in Iraq.
 
Members of the Iraqi Cabinet vote on the security agreement Sunday in Baghdad.

The agreement sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from all Iraqi cities and towns, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The date for all troops to leave Iraq will be December 31, 2011, he said.

These dates are "set and fixed" and are "not subject to the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 Cabinet members in attendance voted in favor of the agreement, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. One minister abstained.

The Cabinet consists of the prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 other ministers.

The approved draft will be sent to the Council of Representatives, Iraq's 275-seat parliament, later Sunday, where it will be put to another vote. "There is great optimism that they will pass it," said Industry Minister Fawzi Hariri.

Al-Dabbagh said the parliament speaker and his deputies will decide when the parliament will vote on the agreement. He said there were "positive attitudes" when the major political blocs met to discuss the draft plan on Saturday.

Zebari said the parliament will reach a decision before it takes a 15-day recess on November 25.

Earlier, Sami al-Askari, an advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, said the draft included changes that made it "satisfactory" for the Iraqis.

For months, the United States and Iraq have been negotiating a proposed status of forces agreement. It would set the terms for U.S. troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate on their presence expires at the end of this year.

Many Iraqi officials say they will oppose any deal that hints at compromising the country's sovereignty.

Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said in a statement on his official Web site last week that he will "forbid any stance that targets the sovereignty of Iraq no matter how small it is."

In late October, Iraqi officials submitted several amendments to the draft plan to U.S. negotiators in Baghdad.

Zebari said at the time that the proposed changes called for a fixed timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal; a specific number of sites and locations that would be used by the U.S. military; and Iraqi jurisdiction over U.S. forces who commit certain crimes in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/16/security.pact.vote/index.html

[Straw Man]

Isn't this what Obama wanted?  A decision after the election? 

Iraq's Cabinet approves U.S. security pact

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact that would set the terms for U.S. troops in Iraq.
 
Members of the Iraqi Cabinet vote on the security agreement Sunday in Baghdad.

The agreement sets June 30, 2009, as the deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from all Iraqi cities and towns, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The date for all troops to leave Iraq will be December 31, 2011, he said.

These dates are "set and fixed" and are "not subject to the circumstances on the ground," he said.

Twenty-seven of the 40 Cabinet members in attendance voted in favor of the agreement, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. One minister abstained.

The Cabinet consists of the prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, and 37 other ministers.

The approved draft will be sent to the Council of Representatives, Iraq's 275-seat parliament, later Sunday, where it will be put to another vote. "There is great optimism that they will pass it," said Industry Minister Fawzi Hariri.

Al-Dabbagh said the parliament speaker and his deputies will decide when the parliament will vote on the agreement. He said there were "positive attitudes" when the major political blocs met to discuss the draft plan on Saturday.

Zebari said the parliament will reach a decision before it takes a 15-day recess on November 25.

Earlier, Sami al-Askari, an advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, said the draft included changes that made it "satisfactory" for the Iraqis.

For months, the United States and Iraq have been negotiating a proposed status of forces agreement. It would set the terms for U.S. troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate on their presence expires at the end of this year.

Many Iraqi officials say they will oppose any deal that hints at compromising the country's sovereignty.

Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said in a statement on his official Web site last week that he will "forbid any stance that targets the sovereignty of Iraq no matter how small it is."

In late October, Iraqi officials submitted several amendments to the draft plan to U.S. negotiators in Baghdad.

Zebari said at the time that the proposed changes called for a fixed timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal; a specific number of sites and locations that would be used by the U.S. military; and Iraqi jurisdiction over U.S. forces who commit certain crimes in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/16/security.pact.vote/index.html

I think it's more what the the leaders of Iraq want and Obama will probably scale down the troop levels long before then anyway

[Hereford]

I'd bet the Iraqi leaders are scared shitless of what's gonna go down after the US takes off.... 

[240 is Back]

this means no bases there for 50-100 years, regardless of any circumstances on the ground.

What will we do with the hundreds of billions worth of US bases - 40 to 50 of them - that are present now?

This deal will declare EVERY soldier is out of every city in 7 month.
This deal will declare not one US boot on Iraqi soil in 3 years. 

huge.

[Cap]

All this means is that the US soldiers will be shooting other brown men in the region, and probably people in Africa.

[240 is Back]

All this means is that the US soldiers will be shooting other brown men in the region, and probably people in Africa.

Africa is a beautiful country.   Palin 2012.

[Cap]

Africa is a beautiful country.   Palin 2012.

I think we are almost assured to be in Kenya and Darfur very soon into the new administration.  Hopefully Huck, Newt or Nugent 2012.

[headhuntersix]

Gee I think I said this about 6 fricken months ago. We knew a long time ago that this was where it was headed. The Iraqi army and police will have to step up. This means no more presence patrols. We'll support the MTT teams training the army with arty, medivac and QRF support as well as SOF units killing AQI and thats it.